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Friday, July 31, 2015

Upgrading to Windows 10 using "express settings" will automatically make Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) Edge your PC's default Web browser, even if you used a different browser when your PC was running Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Big Choga Access Area on Lake Nantahala recently reopened for the remainder of the summer recreation season. All facilities and amenities are available for public use.

Site improvements at the access area include a paved parking lot with handicap-accessible parking, a bank fishing area, handicap-accessible restroom facilities and new lighting for safety and security.

Farmers markets like the Santa Fe Farmers Market are at the heart of many towns and cities, attracting foot traffic and customers to brick and mortar stores, bringing together rural and urban Americans, and creating jobs and opportunities for local farmers and ranchers. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Greetings from New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment! I’m here at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, where local farmers and ranchers have come together to sell their goods to the community for more than 50 years. This popular farmers market started with just a handful of growers and now has more than 100 vendors, more than any other in the state. It’s the perfect place to celebrate all that farmers markets do for rural and urban communities around the country by kicking off the 16th annual National Farmers Market Week.

The growth in Santa Fe’s market mirrors what is happening across the country – Americans want to get to know their farmers and learn where their food comes from. Farmers markets like this one are at the heart of many towns and cities, attracting foot traffic and customers to brick and mortar stores, bringing together rural and urban Americans, and creating jobs and opportunities for local farmers and ranchers. That’s why my agency, USDA’sAgricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is always looking for innovative ways to help farmers markets succeed.

At AMS, we have a long history of supporting local and regional food systems – including farmers markets – through grants, research, technical assistance, and market information. AMS grant programs invest millions in local and regional food systems, including farmers markets. Since 2009, our Farmers Market Promotion Program has funded 630 projects totaling $42 million to support direct marketing efforts for local food. And since 2009, we funded over 250 farmers markets projects totaling $13.5 million to promote fruits and vegetables through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (2009-2014).

While in Santa Fe, I’m also releasing the results of our 2014 National Farmers Market Manager Survey. AMS conducted a survey of 1,400 market managers across the country to help markets like this one better understand market trends and remain successful. The results show that farmers markets are thriving – customer demand remains strong, with most market managers reporting increased sales and a desire to expand. We also learned that two-thirds of markets have at least one USDA-certified organic vendor. Not surprisingly, the survey found that farmers markets are often at the heart of their communities, with local volunteers not only running the market, but also organizing special events, music, and programming on healthy eating.

Celebrating National Farmers Market Week and producing the National Farmers Market Survey are part of USDA’s commitment to local and regional food systems. Secretary Vilsack identified strengthening local food systems as one of the four pillars of USDA’s commitment to rural economic development. The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative coordinates USDA’s policy, resources, and outreach efforts related to this work. We are also part of Local Food, Local Places, a multi-agency federal initiative that provides technical support to rural communities to help build strong local food systems.

We hope you visit your local farmers market and join our celebration of National Farmers Market Week!

The results of the 2014 National Farmers Market Survey show that farmers markets are thriving – customer demand remains strong, with most market managers reporting increased sales and a desire to expand. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Zuckerberg's announcement that Chan is now pregnant with a baby girl prompted thousands of congratulatory Facebook (FB, Tech30) messages on Friday, and some of them were extraordinarily personal, with women's stories of other miscarriages and the silence that often accompanies heartbreaking loss.

Khail and Ashley discuss Amazon's move to sign the former "Top Gear" trio to a new deal, how Nokia plans to enter the VR market with a new camera and a Lexus modded to visualize a driver's heartbeat. #TDPrimeGear

Click the link for all the links in the show - http://cnet.co/1MWGzilThis week on Crave, we set a reminder for the Lexus Hoverboard unveiling on August 5 and take a virtual self-guided tour of the International Space Station. It's the Crave show!

Jon Stewart turned his attention to next week's GOP debate during Thursday's "Daily Show," openly wondering which of the many Republican candidates will be allowed to take the stage.

"Will it be you?" Stewart said looking directly into the camera. "In fact, you should probably stop watching this show right now and check the polls just to make sure your friends didn't put your name in as a prank and you're now doing better than Lindsey Graham."

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is accusing The New York Times of "egregious" errors and the "apparent abandonment of standard journalistic practices."

The campaign is angry over a story The Times published one week ago about fallout from Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as Secretary of State. It was originally headlined "Criminal Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton's Use of Email."

Gayle Goschie, a third generation Oregon farmer at Goschie Farms, Inc., stands in a hop yard at her farm in Silverton, Oregon. Goschie Farms was the first hop farm to be certified as Salmon-Safe, recognized for adopting practices that protect water quality and native salmon.

As part of our ongoing #womeninag series, we are highlighting a different leading woman in agriculture each month. This month, we profile Gayle Goschie, a third-generation hop grower on a farm her family has owned in Silverton, Oregon, for 130 years. Goschie Farms grows 550 acres of hops and sells to some of the nation’s top breweries. The farm also grows 150 acres of wine grapes that are sold to regional wineries and 300+ acres of other crops including grass seed, corn and wheat.

Gayle was the first woman hop grower to be awarded the International Order of the Hop in 2009, the highest honor in the International hop community and an award which her father also received in 1984. We talked about her love for the outdoors, including the beautiful hikes she takes in the Willamette Valley. She strongly believes in our responsibility to conserve and improve our lands not only as good business sense but critical to building future farm leaders.

How do you start your day?

In the months of the growing season, most of my days will start in the farm fields and vineyards with an invigorating trudge in rubber boots and raingear for the months of April, May and June, and then transitioning to a refreshing early morning hike for July, August and September. My morning routine sets my workday and it continuously adjusts to the farm’s work schedule.

Morning is my favorite part of the day – always, no matter the season.

The view from the hop yard at Goschie Farms, Inc. in Silverton, Oregon.

What is your favorite part about being a hop farmer?

I love working with and reacting to Mother Nature. There will be a seasonal plan of farm work in place, but it almost always changes from year to year, month to month and day to day. The more I experience those changes, the more I appreciate them.

I think you need a good dose of curiosity to be a farmer. It’s far better to be challenged by the work than to be overwhelmed, and we all know how overwhelming it can be because farming is hard work. But it’s boots on the ground, hands in the dirt, good honest work.

Why is conservation so important to your operation?

Conserving our natural resources is our lifeblood. It’s allowed us to farm on the same ground for over a hundred years. And it’s a natural part of our business culture to not just conserve but to improve. We do it as a farming family certainly as a way of guiding our business, but more importantly we do it out of respect for prior generations and the good fortune of passing on opportunities to the farm’s future leaders.

Who are your role models in agriculture?

I would say my role models are various and many. Certainly my foundation has been built on the values and temperaments of my parents and grandparents. I was fortunate to have a family that taught me the value of honesty and the satisfaction of a job well done.

In Oregon, we have the most fabulous role model for women in agriculture–Katy Coba, State of Oregon Director of Agriculture. Katy continues to serve the diverse ag industry of our state through multiple administrations of state leadership. And then I look to mentors outside of ag, women and men of all professions and walks of life that give me bits and pieces of inspiration and reasons for further thought. I find I’m redefining my role with every year or new challenge that comes with living and farming in this fascinating and invigorating time.

What are you watching, reading or listening to?

My last two books were connected by subject and coincidence—The Martian and An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. The Martian is a, humorous at times, look into problem solving from the remoteness of space. With every action that takes place, there’s a consequence or reaction, which I believe is much like farming. How do I accomplish solving a pest imbalance without having a counteraction that creates another problem?

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth was recommended by a high school classmate (of 40 plus years) who is an active NASA astronaut, Dr. Don Pettit. If you want to take yourself off the farm and see a very realistic look at life in the space program here’s another great escape.

How do you spend the free time you have?

Did I mention I love the outdoors? I’ve come late to, but fallen deeply for, hiking the great trails of Oregon and Washington, and a few in other parts of the world. It’s a wonderful escape to meet up with ‘city folk’ from all ages and professions as we physically push ourselves up and down trails in all types of weather and all for the fun and beauty of it. When we are training intensely it’s usually with a goal of climbing a mountain. It gives me true inspiration and a tremendous sense of place to look out across our farmland and see the various peaks in the distance where I’ve stood on the top.

In seven words or less, what is some advice you would offer your fellow women in agriculture?

Acknowledge your profession and your legacy.

From farmers and scientists to policy makers and communicators, women are at the forefront of agriculture. Check out previous Conversations with #womeninag with Anne Alonzo, Administrator of USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service; cattlewoman Minnie Lou Bradley of Bradley 3 Ranch; National Young Farmers Coalition founder Lindsay Lusher Shute; Dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University Dr. Jewel Hairston; founder and editor-in-chief of Civil Eats Naomi Starkman; Oregon Rancher and county committee member Cory Carman; and Executive Director of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District Casey Cox. You can continue to follow our conversation with #womeninag on Storify.

Is there a leading woman in agriculture you would like to hear from? Send us your suggestions using #womeninag or via email at agwomenlead@usda.gov.

Hop production is underway at Goschie Farms, Inc. in Silverton, Oregon.

An easy nine miles from the city of Juneau, a portion of a small non-glacial tributary creek nestled among alder, cottonwood and beds of dense, lush moss and understory vegetation is again sharing its ancient story of birth, death and renewal: sockeye and coho salmon are swimming home to spawn.

Yet visitors who want to take in this yearly natural story can view the wonder from the comfort of their own homes via a live online streaming from an underwater camera.

“Steep Creek is one of Alaska’s most productive natural salmon fisheries,” says Pete Schneider, a fisheries biologist for the Tongass National Forest. “This 2.25-mile-long creek takes a precipitous route from Heintzleman Ridge overlooking Mendenhall Lake and the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, but only the lower half mile of the creek is accessible to fish for spawning. Yet despite its short length it contains a wonderful combination of spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids.”

Average stream depths are less than 2 feet and widths range from less than 10 feet in fast-moving sections to over 50 feet in braided gravel locations. Shallow, sediment-filled bodies of water known as kettles are formed by the retreating glacier and provide excellent rearing locations for juvenile fish to feed and seek cover from predators. The deep oxygen-rich water is needed for the salmon to survive frozen spells during the long winters.

“Bears, eagles, otters and mink come to feed here and then toss the nutrient-rich salmon remains along the stream corridor, which in turn feeds and enriches the resulting thick vegetation,” Schneider said. “Based on our temperate rainforest climate, water temperatures rarely rise above 45 degrees as it descends straight off the surrounding mountain.”

So once again, the annual migration of sockeye salmon to Steep Creek will be seen by thousands of viewers via the live video as it has in previous years. Schneider and other forest employees continue to make improvements based on the first salmon cam installed at Steep Creek in 1995 by Eagle Scout Matt Statsny.

Last year, Schneider and his crew upgraded the electrical and camera equipment and ran new coaxial and power cables. They also drove reinforced steel into the substrate of the creek bed for the camera’s stability. This year, they added a new angle for viewer benefit, a second camera to improve viewing opportunities for both on-site and online spectators.

Steep Creek and the Mendenhall Lake support all stages of a salmon’s lifecycle. When the salmon return each year, eggs are laid in redds, depressions in the streambed that the female fish excavate to lay their eggs. After they hatch, they develop from the fry to the smolt stage. After about two years’ growth in fresh water, the smolt make a spring migration downstream to the ocean taking advantage of the snowmelt runoff. They will eventually return to Steep Creek to begin the process all over, sometimes as much as seven years later.

“The fish are best seen on the video during the brightest daylight hours, with the biggest concentration of fish in the stream in late-July,” Schneider said. “The 4- to 7-pound sockeye arrive in mid-July and usually the run winds down by the end of August. The 7- to 10-pound coho (silver) salmon arrive in late September along with Dolly Varden trout. The coho are fewer in number, but their run is stretched out longer. It is common to see ‘fresh’ fish arrive to spawn as late as Thanksgiving and into Christmas, which makes hungry eagles very happy.”

On Thursday, July 30, 2015, U. S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) urged Senate passage of his Drinking Water Protection Act. This legislation will direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and report to Congress a strategic Algal Toxin Risk Assessment and Management Plan within 90 days. The Plan will evaluate the risk to human health from drinking water provided by public water systems contaminated with algal toxins and recommend feasible treatment options, including procedures and source water protection practices, to mitigate any adverse public health effects of algal toxins. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH-05) authored this legislation in the House.

On Thursday, July 30, 2015, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), opened PSI’s first hearing this Congress exploring the impact of the U.S. corporate tax code on foreign acquisitions of U.S. businesses and the ability of U.S. businesses to expand by acquisition. During his opening remarks, Portman raised concern over how the tax code negatively impacts American jobs and called for tax reform to keep good-paying jobs in the United States.

Republican presidential candidates are hitting the books to prepare for the first debate of the 2016 election.

Things could get a little nerdy when the economy comes up in the August 6 debate hosted by Fox News. Four years ago, America was still in a hangover from the Great Recession. Then presidential hopeful Mitt Romney found it easy to hammer President Obama on the big issues like high unemployment and lackluster job growth.

Tesla (TSLA) announced that the first person who refers 10 customers in each of its sales regions -- North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific -- for a total of 30 referrals of people who eventually buy a Tesla will get a free Model X.

During a hearing on the implications of sanctions relief in the Iran nuclear deal, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned language in the agreement could allow Tehran to effectively block future sanctions, including for terrorism, by threatening to stop compliance with the agreement. The committee’s third hearing on the Iran deal featured testimony from Juan C. Zarate, a former U.S. counterterrorism official, and Richard Nephew, a former sanctions expert at the U.S. Department of State.

Leadership is a critical trait to possess if you’d like to advance in your career. However, when you’re at the bottom of the totem pole, you may think the ladder to manager is difficult to climb. As long as you are mindful of certain skills, though, you can do very well. We recently had a management discussion where so many great gems were shared, and we figured we’d highlight some of the best ones.

The new all-aluminum Ford F-150 crew cab pickup did well in a tough new crash test, but the slightly smaller SuperCab version of the truck earned poor marks.

Both versions were subjected to the new small overlap front crash test. In that test, a vehicle hits a barrier at 40 miles per hour with just one-quarter of its front bumper. The impact occurs on the left side, just in front of the driver's seat.

India is set to surpass China as the world's most populous country -- and much sooner than previously thought.

China now has a population of 1.38 billion, compared to India's 1.31 billion, according to new data from the United Nations. But by 2022, India's population will draw even with that of China, at 1.4 billion people, and then exceed it.

Mariana Lizeth González Sánchez (far right) has been a National Mango Board member since 2012. Sanchez is the manager of exports at EB International and has more than 8 years’ experience in the mango industry.

Meet Mariana Lizeth González Sánchez

The future of agriculture is bright when looking at young people like Mariana Lizeth González Sánchez, a current member of the National Mango Board. With nearly 8 years’ experience in the mango industry, Sanchez is the manager of exports at EB International. In her role, Sanchez is responsible for purchasing, logistics, exporting and marketing of mangos.

A National Mango Board member since 2012, Sanchez says that her time on the board has been a major stepping stone for her career. She cherishes the opportunity to express her views with members from all segments of the industry – representing various positions as importers, distributors, and producers. After each meeting, she comes back with a clearer and more complete vision of the industry.

When looking at the future of the mango industry, Mariana believes that the unique characteristics and versatility of mangos will enable it to be one of the most consumed fruits. Every day consumers are more demanding in terms of quality and presentation of mangos which pressures the market to deliver high quality fruit. This in turn will cause consumers to demand mangos in many different ways, which will help the industry showcase that mangos are not a seasonal fruit but available all year long.

As one of the younger members on the board, Sanchez encourages other young people to seek a position on one of the boards. She acknowledges that is a lot of work but feels it’s important to have everyone included in the conversation when it comes to setting industry goals. She feels it is especially important for younger people to join the industry and participate on the boards since the average age of our nation’s farmers is increasing.

Sarah Frey-Talley is an accomplished businesswoman who owns several multimillion dollar enterprises including farming, property management, and transportation-logistics. She is the sole owner of Frey Farms, a certified Women’s Business Enterprise that prides itself on bringing local grower values to produce distribution.

Meet Sarah Frey-Talley

Sarah Frey-Talley has been an entrepreneur from the time she was eight years old. She grew up on a small 100- acre farm in southern Illinois, where she and her mother would buy watermelons from local farmers and then go store-to-store, with a precocious eight-year-old as the frontline sales person, making deliveries to local grocers during the summer. Fast forward several years and Frey-Talley is now an accomplished businesswoman who owns several multimillion dollar enterprises including farming, property management, and transportation-logistics. She has operations located in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, and West Virginia.

Frey-Talley is the sole owner of Frey Farms, a certified Women’s Business Enterprise that prides itself on bringing local grower values to produce distribution. Frey Farms specializes in the growing, packing, and shipping of fresh market produce including cantaloupes and watermelons, but is best known as the nation’s largest pumpkin grower with Jack O’ Lanterns, whites, pinks, miniatures, and tigers, and a full line of ornamental gourds and squash.

Always the entrepreneur, at age 16, Frey-Talley bought a truck and took over the distribution. It wasn’t long before she had grown the client list from 12 stores to more than 150. Using the proceeds from sales to re-invest and buy farmland, Frey-Talley opened Frey Farms when she was only 17 years old. As her business grew, her brothers, Leonard, Harley, John, and Ted, returned home to work with their younger sister, where they remain today. Sarah’s love of meeting people, selling, and developing new ideas is the driving force behind Frey Farms.

Recognizing the importance of having enough talented labor to harvest the nation’s crops, Frey-Talley is a consensus seeker and works in her spare time to educate lawmakers about the importance of an adequate labor supply for agriculture.

It is no easy task to capture the shadow of Pluto as it travels across the surface of Earth at more than 53,000 mph—but that is exactly what NASA scientists and flight crew did on the night of June 29, 2015. In a true team effort, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy or SOFIA's infrared telescope successfully observed the dwarf planet as it passed in front of a distant star. This event, known as an "occultation," allowed scientific analysis of Pluto and its atmosphere by flying SOFIA at the right moment to an exact location where Pluto's shadow fell on Earth. This video shows the careful planning and real time adaption of the observatory’s flight path leading up to observation, and highlights the data’s contributions to the New Horizons mission.

SOFIA is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The aircraft is based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in Palmdale, California. NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California is home to the SOFIA Science Center that is managed by NASA in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute at the University of Stuttgart.

Super Bowl 50 viewers will now see every cute puppy, famous face, and Victoria's Secret model that shows up in the big game's famous ads... even if they're watching online.

In an unprecedented move, CBS (the network broadcasting next year's big game) will live stream every national ad that runs during the NFL's Super Bowl 50 on February 7 with a slight delay to when they air on TV.

One of the things that sets USDA Rural Development apart is the dedication of its employees. This week they provided a great example of how they are willing to go out of their way to assist people in need by helping to repair the home of Susan Cullen in Big Rapids.

Susan is blind and has struggled to keep up her home. She expressed her concerns to Area Specialist Aileen Waldron and wondered what could to be done to make it more accessible and complete needed repairs.

Aileen told her about our Section 504 Single Family Housing Repair Program, which could finance window, door and furnace replacement. Susan applied and received a $7,500 grant to complete the work.

But our help didn’t end there. Aileen also reached out to local agencies and businesses as well as enlisting the support of USDA Rural Development employees to help with landscaping, rubbish removal and accessibility.

As a result, the Big Rapids Housing Commission provided building materials, Frank Cole Builders of Cedar Springs provided labor and construction oversight, the City of Big Rapids removed debris, and Great Lakes Landscape Supply of Cedar Springs donated shrubs for landscaping.

In addition to Aileen, USDA Rural Development employees Jane Smith, Paul Bristol, Katherin Farwell and Diana Perkins as well as Aileen’s daughter Vanessa volunteered their own time to help.

Perhaps the most rewarding thing about this story was the way in which it touched Susan. She told me that she never expected anything like this kind of response.

As a state director, I mostly see the big picture; total numbers for projects and dollars allocated. This project showed another side of what we do, beyond the dollars and cents.

USDA Rural Development has extraordinary employees and I am honored to work with them.